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One of my biggest pet peeves in the current sports culture is when players or coaches blame the media for their problems. As if it’s our fault you threw that interception or mismanaged the clock.

But in the unique case of Michael Sam, the media really might be the bad guys.

I asked an executive for an NFC team what the real concern is regarding Sam, the pass-rush prospect from Missouri who revealed Sunday he’s gay, setting himself up to be the first openly gay active athlete in any of the four major North American team sports. I contended that the issue wasn’t Sam fitting into the locker room but the potential distraction he’d create in the form of excessive media attention.

“For sure,” the executive said. “I would think that this won’t die down once the season starts, either. You have to worry not only about the kid but his teammates. Football players and staff aren’t great when you get them talking about something other than football. (There’s a) good chance someone says something they regret. (It’s) hard to keep everyone on message for a full season.”

Wherever Sam goes, a media horde will follow. In minicamps. In training camp. At home. On the road.

But my suspicion is that it won’t last. Barring an unforeseen incident, Sam eventually will blend into the NFL’s diverse fabric, which already consists of athletes from every conceivable socioeconomic background. Sam will remain an important pioneer, but his mere presence on a roster will become less and less of a story.

As a member of a different NFC team’s front office told me, Sam’s revelation already “feels like yesterday’s news.” That contention – that Sam being gay isn’t as big a deal as many would have you believe – doesn’t jibe with reports by Sports Illustrated and others. SI quoted multiple personnel men who questioned how smoothly Sam’s assimilation would go.

SI’s reporters took a lot of flak for granting them anonymity. If Sam was brave enough to speak his truth, why couldn’t those GMs and scouts?

I understand where the critics are coming from, but going “off the record” is essential at times in this business, especially when dealing with a sensitive topic. Yes, several execs – including NFL commissioner Roger Goodell – have gone on the record in support of Sam. Kudos to them. But none expressed the uneasiness that unfortunately still exists in some NFL front offices and locker rooms.

Just about everyone in journalism has sources who provide information “on background.” Sometimes it’s the only way to get that information.

RATINGS FROM RUSSIA

Despite the time difference between the United States and Sochi, ratings for NBC’s multiplatform coverage of the Winter Olympics have been healthy so far.

This doesn’t come as a surprise. The Olympics draw a different audience, making for a different viewing experience that isn’t as results-oriented as our typical sports fare.

Speaking on a conference call with reporters this week, NBC Sports Group chairman Mark Lazarus cited the example of Shaun White’s disappointing performance in the half-pipe. Prime-time viewership was up 17 percent over the opening Tuesday of the 2010 Vancouver Games.

“Even though most people knew he hadn’t won,” Lazarus said, “people want to see how it happened.”

The most interesting media development thus far is the increase in digital consumption. Through Tuesday, digital visits were up 54 percent over 2010.

ALL-STAR KOBE

Here’s some of what TNT has in store for its coverage of NBA All-Star weekend:

• Injured Lakers star Kobe Bryant will serve as a guest analyst during the game.

• Analysts Grant Hill and Chris Webber will be embedded on the East and West benches, providing in-game reports and interviews.

• A record number of All-Stars will be mic’d during the game.

REVISITING REPLAY

On the eve of the 2006 World Series, I wrote a piece for the Register urging Major League Baseball to adopt instant replay. It took seven-plus years for MLB – and Charley Steiner – to come around.

The Dodgers announcer was anti-replay at the time, saying: “Part of the charm of the game is the human element. Part of the charm is the arguing – even if you get screwed. Baseball is different, and a good different.”

But times have changed. Technology has advanced. Steiner, as he put it, has “evolved.”

“The time just came,” Steiner said this week. “Now, with technology being what it is, somebody in Botswana who’s watching on MLB.com can see that the guy’s clearly out, but there’s an argument on the field and the call was blown. So technology has overtaken sentimentality, and I’m OK with that now.”

REMOTE PATROL

Fox Sports 1 is in talks with Mike Francesa to air a simulcast of his radio show. Adding the New York-based personality would give FS1’s daytime lineup a jolt at a relatively low cost. …

Fox and FS1 are carrying nearly 80 hours of live programming from Daytona Speedweeks leading up to the Daytona 500 a week from Sunday. The lineup includes “Daytona 500 Bash at the Beach,” a behind-the-scenes look at the one of the biggest pre-race parties, airing at 5 p.m. next Saturday. …

The day after the race, NBCSN introduces a new show, “NASCAR America,” that will air daily at 2 p.m. NBC will share NASCAR coverage with Fox starting next year. …

AMC will air a 10-episode docu-series on the inaugural season of the Arena Football League’s L.A. KISS. The KISS, which will play its home games at Honda Center, is scheduled for two appearances on ESPN2: May 4 and June 28, both vs. Spokane. …

Nick Davis, a former coordinating producer at ESPN, is the new executive producer at Fox Sports West and Prime Ticket. …

Good news if you’re in the San Diego market: Fox Sports San Diego and Time Warner Cable reached an agreement to carry FSSD, the primary TV home of the Padres. It’ll be available to TWC customers March 30. …

The latest documentary in the “30 for 30 Shorts” series explores the rumors and controversies surrounding the 2004 trade of Alex Rodriguez. “The Deal” can be seen on Grantland.com. It also will air at 5 p.m. Sunday on ESPN. …

Longtime MLB writer Rob Neyer has joined FoxSports.com as a senior baseball editor. Neyer previously worked for SB Nation and ESPN.com.

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